India News | Audiotape Case: Rebel Cong MLA Moves HC for Quashing of SOG FIR Against Him
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma on Tuesday moved the Rajasthan High Court for quashing of an FIR lodged against him after the surfacing of some audio tapes in one of which he is allegedly heard talking to a Union minister for toppling the Gehlot government through horse-trading.
Jaipur, Jul 28 (PTI) Rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma on Tuesday moved the Rajasthan High Court for quashing of an FIR lodged against him after the surfacing of some audio tapes in one of which he is allegedly heard talking to a Union minister for toppling the Gehlot government through horse-trading.
The MLA, who is in Sachin Pilot camp, moved the court, alternatively demanding the transfer of the investigation into the case to the National Investigation Agency from the Special Operation Group of the Rajasthan police.
The SOG had registered the FIR against Sharma on July 17 charges of sedition (124 A) and criminal conspiracy (120 B) under the Indian Penal Code.
The case had been registered on a complaint by Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi after surfacing of three audio tapes in one of which Sharma is allegedly talking to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for toppling the Ashok Gehlot government through horse-trading.
In another tape, he is allegedly heard talking to one Sanjay Jain over the same issue.
Sharma pleaded to the court to quash the FIR terming the case against him as politically motivated.
Alternatively, he demanded transfer of the investigation into the case to the NIA arguing that he does not fair probe into the case by the state investigative agency as the Rajasthan chief minister has given public statements against him.
The SOG has already arrested Sanjay Jain, who was allegedly acting as a middle man and issued notice to Shekhawat.
Congress has alleged that Sanjay Jain is a BJP leader while the saffron party has rejected the allegation saying he has no connection with it.
A team of SOG is looking for Bhanwarlal Sharma who along with another MLA Vishvendra Singh has been suspended from the Congress party's membership for alleged involvement in the conspiracy to topple the government.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)